PRESS RELEASE Contact: Ruth Nyblod 703-305-8341 ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov November 1, 2002 #02-68 USPTO Implements Trademark Postal System (TPostal) First government agency to develop a more efficient and cost effective bulk mailing system in cooperation with the U.S. Postal Service The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently implemented a new electronic bulk mailing system in cooperation with the U.S. Postal Service. The Trademark Postal System, or TPostal, uses the Postal Service’s NetPost Mailing Online service to process trademark bulk mail. The USPTO is the first federal agency to take advantage of the faster, more efficient electronic service. The economic importance of trademarks is more important today than ever before. Information regarding the status of a registration must be provided to the owner accurately and quickly. Working in cooperation with the Postal Service, the USPTO was able to develop a faster, less expensive fully automated system to generate and send bulk mail to its trademark customers. Information is sent to the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com for printing, stamping, and mailing within 24 hours of receipt. By using standard postcards rather than windowed letters, the labor, materials and postage costs are reduced significantly. “Electronic government is a cornerstone of the President's Management Agenda. This enhancement to our trademark processing system is another step closer to our goal of a fully electronic trademark operation by the end of this fiscal year,” noted James E. Rogan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property. “This cooperation between the USPTO and the Postal Service marks a new era in interagency cooperation and extending the benefits of e-commerce to customers.” “The Postal Service is working very hard to offer products and services that meet the changing needs of all of our customers across the country, whether they are consumers, business owners or government agencies,” said Deputy Postmaster General John M. Nolan. “We are pleased that the Patent and Trademark Office has found our NetPost Mailing Online service so beneficial.” Last month, electronic filing of trademark applications exceeded paper filing for the first time. Fifty-two percent were filed electronically and 48 percent were filed on paper. # # #